The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-07-22
CATS.

Men have as many different gaits as
horses, and as characteristic and distinct
i've. Now, there is Jorkina, who is a long,
locse,jointed sort of a man; his legs waver
about at every step, and his feet point
straight forward, or, if anything, turn just
| n little inward at the toes. Whereas Dunn
BILE, who is short and inclined to lie
"stont,' turns his toes decidedly out
ward, plants his feet well apart, and hobs
along in a very decided and determined
manner Jorkins, of course, is a good
natured fellow, whom everybody likes we'll
enough, but who is somewhat lacking in
force of character, Dnnble, on the other
hand, is forcible enough in soale ways. In
obstinate: and he has no idea that his
clothes, and his wife, and his baby, and
his house, and, III short, all his blessings
are, by virtue Of being possessed of them.
and by nobody else, respectively, the most
stylish, the dearest, the prettiest and
sweetest, and the most comfortable. and,
altogether, the best in every way that ex-
lists in this or any other word.
Perhaps you think it is because / know
Dumble and dislike him that ! think his
gait expresses all this, but / do solemnly
assure you that the very first time / saw
Dumble going along the street | formed
just that opinion Of him, which subsequent
acquaintance has only confirmed.
Tilbury, now, is as different from the
other two as possible. He walks with short
steps, has small feet, Of which he is rather
vain, and when he is in a hurry has a sort
of wriggle in his gait. He can't keep step
with any other man, partly because he
steps so short and partly because lie is IL
regular, giving a little skip once in awhile
when a new impulse strikes him-a thing
that happens on the average at least once
every five minutes. He was always called
''Tillie" at school, and played with the
girls at recess. He sings a fair tenor and a
very pretty f~alsetto, and has a taste for art
and for the lighter sorts of poetry.
Let us turn from Tilbury to a distinct
lively masculine specimen. He walks as
though the walking itself were a pleasure
to him, as indeed it is. That is what the
professionals would call a square heel and
toe gaia good stride, a strong push
with the toes of the hind foot, a straight
ening OF the foremost leg before he puts if
down, and an easy swing of the whole
body. That is Tom johnson. When he
was in college he could do his mile inside
of nine minutes, and his six miles within
the hour. Perhaps his training accounts
for some of the peculiarities of his gait,
but his character is just as square and
straightforward as his walk, and when he
undertakes anything he goes through with
it and wastes no tine by the way.
1t will not do for a MAJ to say much
about women's gaits. They are not so df.
verse as mems for one reason, / imagine,
because women wear their shoes tighter,
and nobody can have a natural gait in
painful shoes. Most OF them bend forward
at the hips, too. and keep their knees bent
all the time. Go up the avenue any Sun
day. after church. and the women who
walk erect can be counted ON your fingers,
The recent popularity of common sense"
shoes ought to have its effect on women S
gait after a while, and, as a matter offact,
it seems 10 me that the younger girls dc
walk better than their elder sisters.-1ht
| EnOrI